A Flower Unearthed
by Sherrri
Summary: A brief, wordless encounter in Hogsmeade has more of an effect on Narcissa Malfoy than she could have imagined. Femmeslash, NarcissaHermione. On hiatus, perhaps permanently.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Harry Potter.

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A Flower Unearthed

Chapter One

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Narcissa Malfoy had never been in a position to make decisions about her own life. She had married Lucius not two weeks after her graduation, under tremendous pressure from her parents.

Their feelings for each other were never particularly intense, and now that he was in Azkaban and the Dark Lord was dead, Narcissa felt little sorrow. In fact, she was exhilarated by her newfound freedom.

Lucius's trial, including the entire appeal process, lasted until mid-October. Draco had been sent back to Hogwarts, along with many of the other students who were unable to complete their final year because of the war.

As soon as he left, she had a sudden, burning desire to escape her isolation in Malfoy Manor, and rented a small room at an inn in Hogsmeade. She spent her days wandering the streets and browsing in the shops, feeling nostalgic for her own school days.

She hadn't been so happy in years. She found herself smiling at people for no reason, and received several double takes from people that knew her only as the cold, aristocratic wife of Lucius Malfoy. The fact that her good mood made them nervous only made her smile wider in amusement. It was a vicious cycle.

It was on one of these lazy, nostaligic days that she found herself sitting in the Three Broomsticks, having decided to make the experience complete with her first butterbeer since she became an adult. The door opened with a gust of cold wind, and Narcissa glanced up to see Harry Potter and his two friends, Weasley and the mudblood girl, walk in.

They were laughing about something, and their faces were pink from the autumn chill. The girl, still smiling, claimed a table near Narcissa's, not noticing her. Narcissa remembered that her name was Hermione Granger, having heard enough rants about "the mudblood know-it-all" from Draco over the years, but she had never really seen her up close before; at least, not in a situation where she could really pay her any attention. She was pretty.

And naturally, Granger chose that moment to glance up and see Narcissa studying her. They locked gazes, and Narcissa could not seem to look away.

Granger looked away first, as Potter and Weasley showed up with three mugs of butterbeer, and Narcissa got up to leave rather than risk any sort of confrontation, though she didn't expect one. When she reached the door, however, she couldn't stop herself from turning around to glance at them one more time out of a vague curiosity. When she did, she met Granger's eyes again. It was unnerving, and she quickly turned and left.

She walked as fast as she could short of running until she reached her room. She didn't know why, but something in the girl's stare had made her feel lonely. It was nothing new, she had been lonely for a long time, as distant as Lucius was, but she had never really felt it before.

Narcissa had no close friends of her own, particularly now that Severus was dead. Not that he had been the sort of friend she had fun with in Hogsmeade even when he'd been alive...

She was jealous of that Gryffindor trio and how close they were. She wanted to be sitting at that table with the mudblood girl. The thought of this left her frightened and vaguely disgusted with herself.

Neither Malfoys nor Blacks got jealous, and she had been thoroughly indoctrinated into the worldviews and behaviors of both families. But she felt those filial ties breaking down already with nobody to enforce them, and she allowed herself a moment of weakness.

She didn't remember that night's dreams the next morning, but they had involved dark eyes that glowed like amber, and her own pale, slender fingers tangled in soft, slightly bushy hair.

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A/N: Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter.

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Chapter Two

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Hermione's life had been going well since the defeat of Voldemort. She was back at Hogwarts for her final year and she actually felt safe. Most of the surviving Death Eaters were in prison and the other ones did not seem to be active. Perhaps she could have a normal year. But, of course, it was far from perfect.

The Weasleys were struggling to deal with Fred's death, and Hermione never knew what to do when she was at their house and someone started crying. She always felt bad for intruding on the family's grief. Ron kept telling her not to be ridiculous, but it never helped.

Probably because another reason for her unease was that she was uncertain of her feelings for Ron. Honestly, when they had become involved, she probably would have taken anything. She was young and scared, far away from her parents, and she needed someone to comfort her when all of their lives were in danger.

Now that she had a chance to think about their relationship, which had seemed so trivial when it started that she could not be bothered to think about its purpose, she realized that she was never actually attracted to him.

She loved him, of course, but it was the same way she loved Harry. She couldn't tell Ron about this. He still needed her, especially after the death of his brother. She would have to be completely heartless to leave him now. And she was in no great hurry, as she still had no idea what she really wanted.

Hermione sat at a table in the library, trying to think of a solution to this, which she could hardly believe was her biggest problem at the moment. But for some reason, her thoughts kept drifting to her visit to Hogsmeade the day before.

She, Harry, and Ron had a good time. Ron had put his arm around her and she almost shook him off. They had gone to the Three Broomsticks, and Ron and Harry went to get drinks for the three of them.

She sat at a table near the back of the room and looked at her hands for a second. In her peripheral vision, she caught a glance of someone with white-blonde hair at a nearby table.

She looked up, thinking it must be Draco Malfoy, and was surprised to see that it was his mother. She was staring at her and couldn't be bothered to look away when Hermione caught her at it. This lasted longer than it should have, long enough that it was really weird.

She was relieved when Ron and Harry came back and Narcissa Malfoy left, but not before pausing at the door to look back at Hermione. She had no idea what it meant, or why Mrs. Malfoy was in Hogsmeade in the first place.

Maybe the expression on her face was scorn or disapproval. Maybe she was making it clear that she did not care enough about Hermione's opinion to observe the common courtesy of not staring at people.

Maybe Hermione was reading way too much into this. She hated not knowing things. She shook her head and walked toward the back of the library to get a book.

The DADA teacher this year was a tall man with neatly combed black hair. His speech was annoyingly formal and his lessons were boring. He was almost like Professor Binns, only alive.

Thus, Hermione was rather surprised to find him lying on the floor in a secluded corner of the library. She didn't scream, but bent down and felt for the pulse in his neck. He was dead. She ran as quickly as she could to Madam Pince.

McGonagall made the announcement that evening that the professor was dead, and had in fact been murdered with the killing curse. Of course, word had already spread by then, but everyone was still in shock.

They were supposed to be safe now that You-Know-Who was dead. Most people attributed the murder to the few Death Eaters that were still free, but it seemed to Hermione that there was no way they would be able to enter Hogwarts when even Voldemort never could. She thought it must have been someone in the school. But what could possibly be the motive?

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Hogwarts needed a new Defense teacher, but it was an extremely difficult position to fill, given its history. When Narcissa heard about the murder, her first reaction was to worry about her son.

Her second reaction was to worry about Granger.

Her third reaction was to wonder why on earth she even thought about Granger, and her fourth reaction was to write a letter to Headmaster McGonagall and offer her services as a substitute teacher, at least until another one was found.

She had no experience teaching, but Defense was her specialty when she was in school and she'd had a reputation for being very talented as a duelist.

Both Lucius and the Dark Lord had discouraged her from exercising this skill, which just made her desire to start again stronger. She also wanted to be able to keep an eye on her son now that the security of Hogwarts was compromised.

She received an answer to her letter the same day. McGonagall was clearly desperate, for she was asking the wife of a convicted Death Eater to come in for an interview. She also clearly did not believe that the remaining Death Eaters were responsible for the murder.

Narcissa knew they were not. The only ones that escaped punishment were a few of the Outer Circle ones that were never particularly loyal to the Dark Lord in the first place; they were in hiding and were not about to risk their lives for him when he was already dead.

Narcissa prepared for her interview, although she knew that she was probably the only person who applied.

This would be a test of her loyalties, not her abilities. But she had no loyalties to anyone but herself and her son, and she just wanted to get out into the world again after being confined in Malfoy Manor for her entire adult life.

She was confident that she would get the job.

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A/N: Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter.

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Chapter Three

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It was time for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Hermione still had no idea who their new professor would be. All of the students had gotten there early, but there was no teacher.

Maybe McGonagall had not been able to get anyone in time for this class. There was a buzz of conversation about the classroom as some people thought they should just leave while others wanted to wait.

The buzz was immediately silenced when the door opened and none other than Narcissa Malfoy walked in. She stood at the front of the class and introduced herself with a smile that was like her son's smirk but with a little warmth behind it.

It was more than a little odd. Mrs. Malfoy had done nothing but confuse Hermione lately. She hated being confused.

The class went well. Professor Malfoy taught them some interesting dueling techniques, which Hermione already knew, of course, but nobody else did. They had been put in pairs to try them out, and it was the first practical lesson of the year.

Hermione was relieved. She felt bad for thinking it, but the class would be much better with Malfoy teaching it. Ron was a bit apprehensive, but Harry felt a certain loyalty to Narcissa Malfoy because she had lied to Voldemort for him.

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That night, Hermione found herself wandering the halls alone. She had borrowed Harry's cloak a while back and never returned it. It was probably a very bad idea to be out alone at night when there was a murderer on the loose in Hogwarts, but she felt the need to think about her situation with Ron, and she was not in her clearest state of mind.

She was lost in thought when she rounded a corner and walked directly into Narcissa Malfoy, so hard that they both ended up sprawled on the stone floor. Narcissa reached out blindly and grabbed the corner of the cloak. She pulled it off and stood up, offering Hermione a hand and pulling her to her feet with surprising strength.

"Miss Granger. It is probably unwise of you to be running through the corridors alone past curfew, particularly if you are not willing to devote your full attention to the activity," she said, raising one eyebrow.

"I wasn't running, professor." Both eyebrows rose. "I mean, I'm sorry professor, I just needed some space to think." Hermione was annoyed by how calm Mrs. Malfoy always seemed to be and it was getting the best of her. A subtle look of concern crossed the teacher's face.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and for some reason Hermione felt a tear run down her cheek at her professor's words. She couldn't help it, and she felt all of her stress and trauma from the past two years well up inside of her at that moment.

She had weathered Dumbledore's death, the search for horcruxes, being on the run, the constant fear of her own death and that of her friends and family, and the final battle, all without breaking down.

She felt completely ridiculous that she was doing it now, set off by her relationship issues and a corridor collision with her new professor. She put her hands over her face and cried in earnest, and Narcissa looked like she was not quite sure what to do.

Hermione felt a slight surge of triumph at shattering that irritating composure. But she kept sobbing, and eventually Narcissa put a hand on her arm and told her to come sit down in her office.

By the time they got there, Hermione had gotten herself somewhat under control, although she was now rather embarrassed about crying for apparently no reason in front of someone she barely knew.

The room was nice, but plain. It had none of the expensive decorations she would have imagined finding in a room that a Malfoy occupied. But of course, Narcissa had just moved in. They sat down on the couch and Narcissa poured Hermione a cup of tea. Hermione told her about her problem with Ron, and she felt better by the time she was done.

"Well, if you want my advice, I think you should be honest with Weasley as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to go through with it."

"You're probably right. I'll just have to go ahead and do it." Hermione said before glancing up at the clock. "Oh my God! I need to go to bed, I have classes tomorrow!" She stood up and looked around for the cloak. Narcissa handed it to her.

"See you tomorrow!" Hermione said as she closed the door behind her, leaving Narcissa alone to wonder what had just happened.

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It had been a weird night for Narcissa. One minute she was patrolling the halls, and the next she was comforting the mudblood girl who was so hated by her son, and by talking about boys of all things. What did Narcissa know about boys? They seemed so bizarre to her, especially Gryffindor ones, whom she had never associated with even when she was in school.

Her first instinct was to tell the girl to leave him, and it may have been a bit biased by her own recent emancipation from married life. And she just might have really hated seeing Hermione and the Weasley boy together anyway.

They just were never right for each other, in Narcissa's opinion. Hermione needed someone more…refined, and cultured. Someone with an intellectual life. Someone who could give her everything she could ever want, so she would never cry again.

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A/N: Review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Same as previous chapter.

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A Flower Unearthed, Chapter 4

Hermione felt really awkward sitting in class the next day. She had been slightly embarrassed when she left Mrs. Malfoy's office, and it only got exponentially worse as she tried to sleep that night. She continuously replayed the night in her head, and every time, she found something else that made her look ridiculous and immature.

She didn't want to seem that way to a teacher. Especially not Mrs. Malfoy, who, like her husband, was never emotional, at least in Hermione's experience. Hermione couldn't believe she had opened up to her that way. She had always seen nothing but condescension in Narcissa Malfoy's gaze, and she could only imagine the judgment that was going on her mind.

On the other hand, she also felt a strange leap in her stomach whenever she saw her newest professor. It was bizarre, but she found that she loved it when Narcissa Malfoy smiled. She had never seen it before this year, and she thought it might have to do with Voldemort's defeat. The idea that Narcissa had always been on their side made Hermione feel a little better about talking to her.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened during defense, except that Hermione was more reluctant to raise her hand and answer questions. Narcissa, of course, acted just as she always had.

The only person who seemed to notice a change in Hermione's behavior was Harry, who met her eyes right after she looked up from staring at Mrs. Malfoy's hands. She had very nice hands. They were pale and slender, like the rest of her. Hermione blushed slightly and Harry gave her an odd look. He didn't say anything, though, and after class they walked up to Gryffindor tower together.

Later that day, Hermione asked Ron to go for a walk around the lake with her. She broke up with him gently, trying to explain although she didn't have an explanation. He took it better than she had anticipated. He said he had noticed her becoming more distant from him and had expected her to break it off with him sooner or later.

This surprised Hermione. She hadn't realized that she had been acting differently around him, and she wouldn't have thought Ron was perceptive enough to notice if she had. She couldn't believe it had been so easy to have that talk with him, especially after how much she agonized over it. Still, she was glad that he wasn't upset, as she still wanted very much to be friends with him like she always had.

Now that she no longer needed to worry about Ron, she could focus on what should have been her biggest problem anyway, the murderer that was roaming free in Hogwarts. She felt stupid for having let her priorities get so out of order. They could all be in danger and she was worrying about boys! She liked to think she was more practical than that.

She wanted to investigate the murder herself, but she had no idea where to start. It could have been just a single murder case, without danger to anyone else, but there seemed to be no motive for this murder, which made Hermione think that it was calculated to stir up fear among the inhabitants of the school. But she couldn't explain who would have a reason to do this either.

Harry and Ron wanted to help too, and McGonagall had, as usual, told the three of them not to get involved. The school actually seemed to be doing something about it this time, however. Detectives and aurors had become a common sight in the corridors of Hogwarts throughout the day, and Hermione realized that they could probably let the professionals take care of it this time.

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Narcissa hadn't spoken to her son since she began teaching. He seemed to be avoiding her, leaving immediately after her class without so much as a look, and she didn't want to embarrass him in front of his peers, but it was ridiculous that she should be teaching him and living in the same building as him without ever talking to him. Not that it was so very different from when he was home for the summer in previous years, when she and Draco could spend whole days in voluminous Malfoy Manor without even seeing each other until dinnertime.

She missed him now, and she wanted to see how he had adjusted after the trauma of the past few years. She had never been what she considered the "mothering type", and she still wasn't, but that wouldn't stop her from being there for her son now. She decided to go down to the Slytherin common room, which, as a professor, she had the password to, and try to talk to Draco in private.

When she got there, she asked one of the younger boys to go knock on Draco's door. A few minutes later, he came down the stairs and they left the common room together.

"So, how have you been lately?" She asked, trying to infuse her voice with a concerned tone. She was concerned, she just had trouble expressing it. She could tell she had failed by her son's response.

"Fine, mother. Was there anything specific you wanted to talk to me about?" He said stiffly.

"No. I just wanted to see if you were okay. Have I embarrassed you?" She smiled and it seemed to work.

"Yes. Very much." Draco sighed with an exaggerated expression of suffering, his head thrown back and the back of his hand resting on his forehead.

"Good. Then I've completed my parental duty." She said with a small half-smile. They had a long conversation and eventually wandered outside. There was a cool breeze blowing and dry leaves crackled underfoot as they looked out over the rippling water of the lake. Across the lake, Narcissa could barely make out two figures. One of them was a boy with bright red hair and Narcissa suddenly recognized the other as Hermione Granger. She wondered if the girl was taking her advice. She hoped so with a bizarre surge of emotion.

She hid it well, and continued talking with Draco. He seemed to be doing well. He was enjoying his classes, which he no longer took for granted after the past year. He talked a lot about Potter, but with less malice than in the past. Narcissa could have sworn she detected slight traces of admiration in his tone when he spoke of the other boy, but she knew better than to say anything.

She had secretly feared that Draco would be bitter about Lucius being sent to prison, as Draco had always seemed to look up to his father more than his mother, but that didn't seem to be the case. She was glad. She looked out across the lake one last time as they turned to leave, and saw Granger and the Weasley boy sitting in the grass on the opposite shore, looking up at the sky. 

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	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Same as previous chapters.

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A Flower Unearthed, Chapter 5

Hermione felt much better having broken up with Ron, and true to his word, there was no bitterness. There didn't even seem to be any awkwardness at all. They went back to the way they had always been before, and she thought that Harry actually seemed happy about it. He had probably felt left out more than once while his best friends were together.

The three of them sat in the Gryffindor common room one evening, and the boys played chess while Hermione watched. Ron was winning, of course. Some things never change.

She decided to go to the library and start on her essay for defense, and of course the boys declined her invitation to join her. As she walked, she thought about how Harry and Ron really needed to apply themselves if they wanted to do well. She could never understand why other people never seemed to have the same thirst for knowledge that she did.

After all, in the wizarding world, knowledge was literally power. Magic was never purely academic. She had the power to do so many more things and solve so many more problems than others did, simply because she studied. It could easily mean the difference between life and death, especially for the three of them, and especially for the past few years.

When Hermione reached the library, she found that it was nearly empty, except for Narcissa. She was sitting at the table by the window, at which Hermione usually sat. She looked up from the book she had been reading when Hermione came in and then promptly looked back down again. Hermione took this as a hint not to bother her and sat down at the next table.

However, she found it very difficult to concentrate on her essay when her teacher was sitting right there. She kept glancing up, just to make sure Mrs. Malfoy was not looking at her, until finally Narcissa noticed.

"Is something the matter, Miss Granger?"

"No, sorry." Hermione replied, embarrassed. She could feel a blush rising in her cheeks and wondered what was wrong with her as she pretended to read. Perhaps she just wasn't in the right state of mind to be studying. She packed up her books, unable to remain alone with Narcissa any longer, as it felt more awkward every second.

As she exited the library, she was spotted by Professor McGonagall, who smiled although she looked rather stressed out, presumably from dealing with the aurors.

"Miss Granger! I was hoping you could join me for a cup of tea in my office today." McGonagall said.

"Of course." She replied. Hermione had often had tea with Professor McGonagall over the years, as the teacher liked to get her opinion on lesson plans and the like.Hermione enjoyed talking with the professor; they shared many academic interests and even had the same taste in artwork and furniture, which was perhaps the reason that Hermione always felt vaguely at home in her office. She followed her teacher to her new office, which was Dumbledore's old one. She sat in her favorite of McGonagall's chairs by the fire and the professor sat across from her and poured the tea.

"I asked you up here because I wanted to get your opinion of Professor Malfoy. She didn't really have any qualifications for teaching, but there was not exactly a great selection of candidates. Is she okay?"

"Yes, she's better than I would have expected. I think she's probably one of the best teachers we've had for defense, actually." Hermione said. McGonagall seemed to relax at that.

"Thank goodness," she sighed. "You don't think she's at all dangerous, do you? I've had a few complaints from parents concerning her involvement with the Death Eaters." Hermione frowned.

"No, I don't think so. Were there a lot of complaints?" She asked, worried for both of her professors.

"Not a lot. Most people have probably heard about how she helped our side in the final battle. I personally haven't seen anything particularly ominous about her, but I did promise the parents I would look into it."

"She's alright, professor." Hermione said with sudden conviction.

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The next morning, Narcissa sat at the staff table for breakfast. This was the first meal she had attended in the Great Hall with the rest of the school, preferring to eat alone in her quarters. Her eyes wandered over to her son, and she was surprised to see him sitting alone.

It looked as though the rest of the Slytherins were shunning him. Draco had said that nothing was wrong when she talked to him, and he hadn't mentioned anything like this. She worried, knowing how vicious Slytherins could be as a group.

During her class, Narcissa realized that her son was being ignored by most of his house there as well. She felt guilty for not noticing it before, and she knew her son would not tell her the reason behind it.

At the end of the period, she asked Granger to stay behind. The girl looked puzzled as the rest of the class filed out.

"Miss Granger, I wonder if you would join me for a cup of tea today. Do you have any free periods?"

"Yes, I actually have one right now." Hermione answered, marveling at her apparent popularity as a teatime companion for teachers lately.

"Excellent." Narcissa said, without a lot of feeling. They went back into her office and sat down with their tea.

"Do you know if there's anything going on between my son and the other Slytherins?" Narcissa asked rather suddenly, "It seems that they are not on speaking terms of late." Hermione was surprised that her professor had come to her for information about her own son, but she was even more surprised that Narcissa didn't already know what was going on. Almost all of the students knew. Hermione almost didn't want to tell her.

"Well," she hesitated, "I heard that he sort of recanted a lot of his previous opinions after Voldemort was killed, and now most of the other Slytherins think he's a blood traitor."

"He recanted his opinions?"

"I guess he said that he doesn't believe in pureblood superiority anymore."

"Oh." Narcissa spoke slowly, frowning slightly. "I was not aware that he had changed his views. He never said anything to me."

"Maybe he was worried about what you would think?" Hermione said uncertainly. She still didn't know Mrs. Malfoy's beliefs on this subject.

"No, he knows what I think. He knows I lied to the Dark Lord to save Harry Potter. He should have no problem telling me." Narcissa's eyebrows were knitted. Hermione dreaded telling her the whole truth, afraid that it would hurt her, but it looked as though she would not be satisfied with anything less.

"I think that's another reason for his estrangement from the Slytherins, actually. They all know you helped Harry. They might be blaming you for Voldemort's defeat and taking it out on him."

"Oh." Narcissa said softly, looking down at the floor. Why hadn't she thought about that? She hadn't even noticed until that day. She felt horrible that her son was suffering because of her and she didn't even pay him enough attention to see that anything was wrong.

"It's not your fault, though." Hermione tried to reassure her. "He did make a choice. He could have told them he disagreed with what you did. He knew what he was doing when he told them he had renounced his beliefs."

"So he chose to defend my actions and I did not even notice while he dealt with the consequences." Narcissa said. Hermione did not know how to respond to that, and she laid a hand on the professor's wrist on an impulse in a desire to comfort her. Narcissa looked up, startled, but neither of them severed the contact.

After a few seconds, the professor maneuvered her wrist until she and Hermione were holding hands. Hermione tried to decide if this was odd or not. She had never really been a close friend with any girls before, so she was a stranger to the casual touches that boys never seemed to make use of.

But this didn't seem casual to her, it felt careful and calculated, and Narcissa seemed to be looking for a reaction. Hermione was trying to think of an appropriate reaction when a knock sounded on the door, seeming to echo abnormally loud in the silent room. They were shocked apart by the sound, and Narcissa got up to answer it, while Hermione got up to leave.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Granger." Narcissa said coolly before she opened the door to find Professor McGonagall there, and remembered that the Headmistress was supposed to meet with her about whether or not she should become a permanent teacher.

Hermione nodded at both teachers and fled down the hallway before they could notice her blush. She wondered what was wrong with her that made her uncomfortable with normal human interaction; and that was certainly all it was, the woman was merely looking for some sympathy to assuage her feelings of guilt.

Hermione over-thought everything. But still, the way Narcissa moved away from her so quickly when the knock sounded made it seem as if she was doing something she would rather not be caught doing. Hermione was confused and frustrated, but her hand still tingled from the warmth of the memory.

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A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I had exams, and then I had no computer access, and then I had writer's block, and finally I was just lazy. I think I started this story with a vague plot in mind, but I've totally forgotten it, so I have no idea what will happen next.

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	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Same as before.

A/N: I'm sorry I still have major writer's block. Hopefully it will go away soon. Reviews help :) I'm worried that my writing sucks.

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A Flower Unearthed, Chapter 6

Narcissa watched her son closely over the next few days. If he was upset about his treatment by his peers, he didn't show it. He was always an expert in hiding his weaknesses. Perhaps she had overreacted. Narcissa decided that she wouldn't worry about his social life anymore unless he came to her for help first.

He was old enough to take care of himself. Narcissa needed to worry about her own issues, such as her newly realized and wildly inappropriate attraction to a girl who was not only the same age as her son, but was also her student.

She was unsure when exactly she had recognized this feeling as something more than a vague warmth in her stomach, but since then, it had been increasingly troublesome for her. She had come very close to overstepping the line when she had tea with Hermione in her quarters, and she was quite sure the girl must have noticed that something was off.

Hermione was very clever, and Narcissa could not afford to be too obvious. Narcissa had tried to seem like she was just concerned about her son, but she found it hard to worry too much in Hermione's presence. She had felt the need to touch the girl and tried to pass it off as needing comfort. She hadn't really felt guilty about causing her son's problems, and she couldn't help exploiting them to get a chance to be alone with Hermione.

Draco would probably understand. They were both Slytherins to the core.

However, part of Narcissa hoped that Hermione did know what was going on. The girl hadn't withdrawn her hand when Narcissa held it. If she knew what Narcissa wanted, then her reaction could have meant that the feelings were mutual.

Narcissa had the distinct impression that Hermione was in fact attracted to her, whether the teenager was aware of it or not. Over the years, she had learned to recognize the signs of attraction in men, usually using them to her advantage. How different could women be? Hermione blushed and stared a lot when Narcissa was present. She had definitely looked nervous when McGonagall showed up, so it seemed that she felt she was doing something wrong.

The signs pointed to Hermione being confused. Narcissa wanted to clear up the situation for her, to tell her that she wanted her and see her reaction, but she would likely be fired for such a thing if the girl told anyone. She had to be sure that the girl wanted her as well. But the more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that this was the case.

She would just have to employ subtlety to find out where she stood before she thought about making a move. And she was certain that she would make a move if the girl returned her feelings. Narcissa could be rather unscrupulous sometimes. She gave almost no thought to the age difference and she was not particularly concerned about being Hermione's teacher either.

Hermione was of legal age. If anyone found out, being fired was the worst that could happen to her. Hermione was more important to her than the teaching post. Narcissa couldn't remember that last time she had really wanted anything so much.

Narcissa liked to take walks when she needed to think. How could she find out what was going on in Hermione's head? She was passing through the corridor in which the library was located and thought she heard movement within. She quietly entered, staying in the shadows. Someone was reading at a table in the back.

Hermione sat in a secluded alcove in the back of the library late at night. She needed to be there at a time when it was deserted so that nobody would see what she was researching. The alcove was hidden from the main part of the library by a few bookshelves, one of which Hermione kept returning to every few minutes to trade one book for another.

She was reluctant to take more than one book at a time because she wanted to be able to quickly put it back on the shelf or hide it if anyone came in. This shelf contained a variety of books about homosexuality, many of which were actually by muggle authors. Hermione wondered vaguely how the school chose which muggle books to keep in the library, as she knew there weren't many.

A disproportionate number of them were located in the Gay and Lesbian section, which frustrated Hermione, mostly because she was trying to get an idea of the general attitude of the magical community on this issue. For purely academic reasons, she tried to tell herself, well aware that it wasn't true. She had wondered about it in the past, but had tried to suppress her curiosity until then.

The fact that there was actually a library section for it was promising. At least it wasn't completely taboo or illegal or anything, although she had never heard anyone at Hogwarts mention it. It was difficult to guess at the average person's opinion from reading a book.

Hermione wished she knew someone whom she felt comfortable asking. She mentally ran through a list of the adults she knew for the best candidate. It could be either Madam Pince or Professor McGonagall.

Pince would probably give her the same type of information she found in the books and not think anything of it, but, assuming homosexuality was at least reasonably tolerated by the community, McGonagall would likely realize why Hermione was asking and give her a more subjective, personal answer. Hermione worried about what McGonagall would think, but she seemed to be a very rational person and would probably be much more helpful than Pince.

Hermione decided to ask McGonagall the next day. She put her last book back on the shelf and went off to Gryffindor tower.

Narcissa watched as the very girl she had been thinking about returned a book to the shelf and left the library, not seeing her hidden in the shadows. What had Hermione been reading this late?

Narcissa went to look at the shelf to which she had returned the book and was delighted by what she found. Her suspicions confirmed, Narcissa returned to her quarters and went to bed, where she had another of those fun little dreams that Hermione tended to inspire.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Yeah, it's still the same.

A/N: It's a short chapter, sorry.

* * *

A Flower Unearthed, Chapter 7

"… And be prepared for a short test next period," Professor McGonagall said as the students filed out of the classroom the next morning. Hermione told Harry and Ron to go ahead without her so she could talk to McGonagall, who was standing behind her desk and packing up her lesson plans as if leaving.

"Professor, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something." She said as soon as the door closed. The professor looked up from her papers.

"I'm sorry, but I have a meeting right now. Can it wait until later today?"

"Sure. Of course. It's nothing important." Hermione said, slightly disappointed.

"Perhaps this afternoon we can have tea again. You have a free period after Ms. Malfoy's class, correct?"

"Yes, all right." Hermione said, fighting the blush that started to rise at the mention of Narcissa. Professor McGonagall promptly left the room, her arms full of books and stacks of parchment. Hermione stood in the empty classroom for a few minutes, packing her things at a leisurely pace, and then moved in the direction of the Great Hall for lunch.

As she walked down a hallway near the DADA classroom, she wondered how exactly she would bring up the subject of lesbianism in her conversation with McGonagall. She really hadn't thought this through properly.

She felt sort of dazed, and she wondered if she was alert enough to have this conversation at all. In her dazedness, she didn't notice Narcissa standing in the corridor and nearly walked into her.

"S-sorry." Hermione mumbled, embarrassed.

"Good morning, Miss Granger. What did I say about running in the hallways?" Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes theatrically. "Would you step into my office and talk to me for a second?" Without waiting for an answer, Narcissa gently but firmly grabbed Hermione's arm and quickly pulled her into the room.

"Okay, is this about Draco? Because I really don't know anything except for what I already told you." Hermione said, confused.

"No, this isn't about him." Narcissa said, and then seemed to hesitate, looking at Hermione. They were standing very close together and Narcissa was still holding Hermione's arm just below her elbow, her fingers slightly brushing against the girl's waist.

Suddenly, something clicked in Hermione's mind, and she knew she wasn't imagining the look in the older woman's eyes.

_She's my teacher; I'd better make the first move, _Hermione thought. In a display of Gryffindor courage, Hermione darted forward and tentatively kissed her teacher.

It was a short kiss, as Hermione pulled back almost immediately to judge Narcissa's reaction before she could rearrange her delicate features into her usual emotionless mask.

The woman did not look quite as surprised as Hermione was expecting. Rather, she was smiling slightly as she leaned in and began another kiss, this one deeper than the first and lasting much longer. Hermione's mind seemed to grind to a halt for perhaps the first time ever, and she was able to focus on the experience in itself. She had sometimes wondered what the appeal in kissing was supposed to be, as it had never been anything special with Ron. Now she knew.

When they broke apart again, neither of them could think of anything to say. It could have been awkward, but there was a sort of understanding between them when they looked at each other, and Hermione smiled before turning around and leaving the room. She needed to eat lunch before DADA class.

After lunch, Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed to class together. Harry and Ron were arguing over something inane and quidditch related, which Hermione happily tuned out. At least she wouldn't have to endure this with Narcissa.

She wondered if Defense class would seem different now, or if someone would realize what they had done. She wasn't particularly worried, though. If any two people could keep a secret, she and Narcissa could.

The class was so normal that Hermione almost wondered if her encounter with the professor was just a very intense daydream. When it ended, Hermione told the boys to go ahead without her, yet again. Narcissa flicked her wand to lock the door behind the last student to leave, and then pulled Hermione into an embrace.

"We should probably talk about this," she said. Hermione started to nod, but then remembered that she had made an appointment with McGonagall that she no longer needed.

"Um… later, okay? I have to meet Professor McGonagall for tea this period.

"Alright, how about tonight?" Narcissa said, fortunately undeterred.

"Yeah, I'll just run through the hallways until I find you." Hermione said as she left and Narcissa laughed.

On her way to McGonagall's office, Hermione tried to think of something to talk about with her. It would be a bad idea to bring up her intended topic now that she had something to hide.

Well, she did say that it was nothing important. She could get away with small talk about classes or something. Oddly, she couldn't seem to be concerned about it just then.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Same as previous chapters.

A Flower Unearthed, Chapter 8

Hermione managed to behave normally for the next few days, but it required a nearly heroic level of self-control to do so. She began visiting Narcissa's room nearly every evening, leaving her with very little time to sleep.

Had she been any other student, there would have been a noticeable decline in the quality of her schoolwork. As it was, she redoubled her efforts in that area to ensure that she wouldn't bring attention to herself. She also felt an urge to talk to someone about her relationship with Narcissa, but of course she never could while she was her teacher.

Meanwhile, Narcissa had been facing the dilemma of whether or not to rectify this issue. It would likely cause a scandal if they were discovered regardless of her employment, but perhaps it would be better for Hermione's reputation if she quit teaching.

She worried that Hermione's academic integrity would be called into question if their relationship were made public anytime soon. It could seriously damage her future prospects for a career in the ministry or whatever else she wanted to do. Of course, if she did quit teaching, she wouldn't be able to see Hermione as often. She decided to stay just a little longer.

When Hermione spent the night with Narcissa, she borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak to do so. This was kind of risky, as he might become suspicious. However, she couldn't help herself, and she had always thought Harry to be rather oblivious to the things she did while not in his presence.

Toward the end of one such night, Narcissa and Hermione lay in Narcissa's bed, catching their breaths after fulfilling the dream that Narcissa'd had that night in Hogsmeade. Despite the contentment she felt, her thoughts kept drifting back to her dilemma, and she couldn't stop worrying about the effect this relationship could have on the girl.

"Hermione?" She whispered, not sure if she was awake, as she was turned away from her with her face hidden by her hair.

"Yeah?' The girl murmured sleepily, rolling over slightly to look at Narcissa through half-closed eyes. Narcissa felt a surge of concern and some guilt at how tired she looked.

"How long do you really think we can go on like this?" At Narcissa's words, Hermione immediately became visibly more alert.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're taking too many risks here. Are you sure it's worth it?"

"It is to me." Hermione said firmly. '_Bloody Gryffindors!'_ Narcissa thought.

"It may seem that way now, but are you aware of how this could affect your future if we were caught?" Narcissa was frustrated that Hermione didn't seem to be at all concerned about this, and was determined to explain it to her.

"Yes, I'm aware! I'm not stupid, as well you know!" Hermione said angrily, showing much more emotion than Narcissa was.

"I didn't say you were. I just think at your age, your sentimental idealism and perhaps your hormones can obscure your judgment. This isn't a romance novel, this is your life." Narcissa finished, convincing herself much more than Hermione with her argument.

"Oh, _at my age_? My _sentimental idealism_? Could you be any more patronizing?" Hermione was furious at the implication that she was simply an irrational, lovesick girl with no understanding of the real world, especially after everything she'd been through. She had thought that Narcissa respected her enough not to judge her by her age. She got out of bed and started hurriedly getting dressed.

"Hermione, calm down." Narcissa said, and it accidentally sounded like an order. Hermione stopped for a moment and glared at her, then walked swiftly to the door.

"Go to hell!" Hermione yelled as she left, slamming the door behind her.

Hermione fumed all the way back to Gryffindor tower, and when she got there, she was surprised to find Harry in the otherwise empty common room, as it was nearly two in the morning. He had sort of a nervous, but serious look on his face.

"What are you still doing up?" Hermione asked him. He raised an eyebrow as if to ask her the same thing.

"Hermione, I think we should talk…" He looked nervous again. She nodded and sat down on the couch next to him. He looked around the room and leaned closer to her and said,

"What's going on with you and Mrs. Malfoy?"

"W-what do you mean?" Hermione asked, horrified.

"I was wondering where you went at night with my cloak, because I kind of needed it for something, so I looked at the Marauder's Map and saw you with her."

"Um, what did you need the cloak for?" Hermione desperately tried to evade.

"Don't change the subject." He said calmly. Hermione sighed, knowing she'd been caught. She told him everything.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

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A Flower Unearthed, Chapter 9

When Hermione finished telling Harry her story, she thought he didn't seem nearly as upset about it as he should have been. She'd been _sleeping with her teacher_, for goodness sake! And not just any teacher, but a Malfoy and a _woman_, at that.

If it had been Harry having the affair, she knew she would have freaked out about it, at least a little. But he had just listened calmly to her explanation and nodded once in a while, and when she was done he didn't say anything. He just looked at the floor as if thinking about something. Then he laughed.

"What's funny?" Hermione asked.

"It's just…what are the odds?" He said, shaking his head and sounding very amused.

"What do you mean?" She demanded.

"Not only are we both gay, but we're both involved with a Malfoy." Harry said as if stating something obvious. It took Hermione a moment longer than usual to understand his statement, and her eyes widened when she realized what he was confessing.

"You mean, you and...Draco? You're, um, together?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded.

"Since when do you call him Draco?" He asked, smiling a bit.

"Well, Narcissa calls him that, and it would be weird to call him Malfoy now that we know two of them." Hermione rambled out, still trying to wrap her mind around the idea of Harry and Draco. For some reason she couldn't even conceive of it.

Harry laughed again. It may have just been sleep deprivation, but he didn't look as nervous as he had when she had first seen him in the common room. Hermione supposed that he felt more confident telling her about this now that he knew for sure that she was in a similar situation. Actually, she was in a far more scandalous situation than he was.

Why, then, did his confession seem so much more shocking to her? Well, naturally it had to do with Harry and Draco's previous antagonism, she supposed. They did seem a lot more civil toward each other lately, but she hadn't thought anything of it except that the war was over.

"But how did this even happen?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged in response.

"We've reconciled. It's actually kind of a long story, and it's already late. Can I just tell you later?" Harry said. Hermione glanced up at the clock. It was almost four in the morning.

"I guess. But how did you even keep something like this from me in the first place?" Hermione wondered.

"Well, you've apparently been really distracted lately. And I was very sneaky." Harry said, smirking. Hermione wondered if the smirk was something he'd picked up from Draco.

"But I've had your invisibility cloak. You couldn't have been sneaking off or anything." She protested.

"Yes, I am very aware of that. Like I said earlier, I needed it tonight."

"You were going to go meet Draco? Tonight?" Hermione asked, for some reason being unable to stop asking questions. It was probably just her inquisitive nature.

Anyway, this whole revelation felt incredibly sudden, and the idea that Harry and Draco were planning to meet tonight the same way she and Narcissa had only forced her to draw more parallels between the two relationships. It just made the whole thing seem more real somehow, as if she had spent the last few months wandering around in a fog that was just now clearing up.

"Yeah. Anyway, I need to go to bed, it's only a few hours before we have to get up." Harry said, clearly excusing himself as he walked across the common room to the stairs. Hermione sighed. She would probably not sleep at all tonight with all the things on her mind.

* * *

Narcissa made her decision as soon Hermione left in a huff after their argument. She needed to do what was best for the girl. And while Hermione was of age, and thus really not a girl anymore, Narcissa suddenly had trouble thinking of her as an adult woman.

Even though Hermione was probably one of the most pragmatic Gryffindors there was (except perhaps McGonagall), she couldn't seem to see that it would be far more beneficial for both of them if they at least took a break from their relationship until after Hermione graduated.

It would be hard in the meantime, but not impossible, if both of them were willing to try avoiding each other. But if Hermione would not willingly give the relationship up even for a little while, then Narcissa would certainly not have the willpower to keep anything from happening between them as long as she remained at Hogwarts.

She felt the prickling of tears in her eyes but didn't let them fall as she finished packing and sent a letter of resignation to the headmistress.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, Harry and Hermione were noticeably exhausted. Ron looked at the two of them suspiciously, and eventually felt compelled to comment. He checked that there was nobody sitting close enough to overhear the trio's conversation.

"Why were you out so late last night?" Ron asked them.

"Oh, I told her about…" Harry briefly glanced at Draco, who was sitting at the Slytherin table like always. "…you know." He finished, and Ron, whose eyes had followed Harry's line of sight, nodded casually. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows.

"Wait, he already knew about that?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Uh…yeah." Harry said, while apparently finding his food very interesting. Hermione scowled at him. She hated not knowing things, but even more than that, she hated not being the first to know everything.

"Why did you tell him and not me?" She demanded.

"I did tell you!" Harry exclaimed. "And I didn't tell him, he found out on his own!"

"That's true, Hermione." Ron spoke up, trying to calm her down.

"Oh. How did you find out?"

"I intercepted a steamy love note." Ron said, grinning and obviously teasing Harry.

"It was not a 'steamy love note', it was just confirming when we were going to meet!" Harry objected, but he was blushing a little.

Hermione giggled; she hadn't realized how little time she had been spending with her friends while she was so focused on Narcissa, but now she realized that she had missed them. They put her in a good mood, but it didn't last long.

The three of them made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Hermione was rather anxious about seeing Narcissa again after the way she'd stormed out the night before. Still, she wanted to make things right as soon as possible. The act of recounting the development of their relationship to Harry had made Hermione even more determined to apologize to the woman.

However, when she entered the classroom, Narcissa wasn't there. McGonagall was standing at the front of the class, and after everyone was seated, she explained that she would be filling in until they got a new defense teacher.

Apparently Ms. Malfoy had mysteriously decided to quit the night before and had already gone. Hermione gasped when she heard, but it was hidden within the complaints of all the other students. She had been one of the best teachers they had ever had for that class, and everyone was sorry to see her go.

Hermione, after her initial gasp, just sat there frozen in shock with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. Harry caught Hermione's eye and gave her a concerned look, but seeing Harry made her think of Draco, which made her look over at the Slytherin, wondering if he had known about this.

If he did, he was a very good actor, because he was wearing nearly the same expression as Hermione. She felt a sudden surge of anger at Narcissa for doing this to them. She hadn't even stopped to tell her son goodbye, much less Hermione.

She went through the rest of her day feeling very heartbroken in a way she never had before. Harry tried to comfort her, but he had to be discreet, as even Ron didn't know why Hermione was so upset. Harry's attempts to comfort her didn't help. He was never good at that sort of thing and he knew it very well.

The only real comfort she got that day was in the form of a letter delivered to her room by owl through the window right as she was going to bed. It was from Narcissa, asking her to meet her at Hogsmeade that weekend.

* * *

A/N: If you don't like the Harry x Draco thing, or just male slash in general, don't worry, it probably won't play a very big part in the story. I just wanted to pull Draco further into the story for potential plot reasons.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter characters or settings or anything except for my plot.

A/N: Sorry for the wait.

* * *

A Flower Unearthed, Chapter 10

Narcissa woke up on Saturday morning feeling anxious. She had sent a letter to Hermione asking her to be at the Three Broomsticks that day, but Hermione hadn't responded. Perhaps the girl had simply forgotten, or maybe she was very upset at Narcissa for leaving like that.

Still, Narcissa intended to go, just in case. She couldn't imagine Hermione turning down the chance to yell at her about her abandonment, or at least to talk about it. After all, Narcissa hadn't given any real information in her letter.

It had been a terse, one-sentence note. She hadn't wanted to put anything incriminating in writing, especially when she was sending it to someone who was undoubtedly extremely angry with her. She was a Slytherin after all. She hoped Hermione would understand.

She had gone back to her old room at the inn in Hogsmeade when she left Hogwarts. It was the same room she had gone to when Lucius went to Azkaban, the room where she was staying when she fell for Hermione Granger in the first place.

Narcissa could still remember the feeling of freedom she had been experiencing when she first stayed there, and thought that it contrasted greatly with how she felt about it now. It was a very small room with a tiny little bathroom attached.

Apparently, when she had asked for a one-person room, the inn had taken it very seriously. At least it had a full-length mirror, which Narcissa put to use as she tried on outfit after outfit, wondering how Hermione would want her to look, and what look would give her the best chance of reconciling with the girl.

Of course, Narcissa looked good in just about everything. She didn't have veela blood, contrary to popular belief, but the Black family had always tended to be very attractive. She thought of her sister Bellatrix, who had been the warm, dark beauty to contrast her cool, light complexion and blonde hair.

They had been quite the team when they were younger, before Bella's experiments with dark magic drove her mad and made her vicious. Narcissa had heard what became of her during the final battle. The Weasley matriarch had put her down like a dog. Narcissa hadn't thought about her family besides her son in a long time. Not since the beginning of the year.

It had felt as if that entire part of her life was over now, like she had finally escaped their influence. But it wasn't true, and she knew it. She had grown up with them, and she had thought what they wanted her to think, she'd done what they wanted her to do, and their beliefs were so thoroughly woven into every fiber of her being that she knew she would never untangle herself entirely.

* * *

Hermione got ready for Hogsmeade on Saturday with every intention of screaming herself hoarse at the woman who had abandoned her. However, she also felt like she needed to be careful not to upset Narcissa, because the whole thing had made her very insecure about their relationship, and she really didn't want it to end over this.

She would have to wait until she saw the woman before deciding how to act toward her. She hoped that she would be able to tell how Narcissa was feeling by looking at her. Maybe it would show in her expression, although that didn't seem likely. She was a Malfoy, after all.

Hermione met Harry and Ron in the common room and they made their way downstairs together. She had told Harry that she would be going to talk to Narcissa, but she wasn't sure how she would explain to Ron that she needed to meet her.

And since Harry would probably be going to meet Draco at some point, she wasn't sure how she could leave him alone without some explanation. She hoped Harry wouldn't meet Draco until after she got back from the Three Broomsticks, because she would feel terrible if they both ditched Ron and he was left alone in Hogsmeade.

The trio walked down the road to the little village early in the afternoon. They used to get up early on Hogsmeade weekends so they could spend the whole day there, but the novelty had eventually worn off, so now they didn't bother.

Hermione glanced at her watch. She only had about twenty minutes until the time Narcissa had specified. Since the three of them had no real idea of where they were going, Hermione suggested the Three Broomsticks.

She supposed that when they got there, she could think of an excuse involving school to go talk to Narcissa. They probably wouldn't be able to talk about anything incriminating in the pub anyway, so she might as well bring Harry and Ron.

When they entered the building, Hermione's eyes were immediately drawn to Narcissa, who was sitting in the back at her own table, drinking firewhiskey even though the look on her face suggested that she didn't like it at all.

In fact, her expression was very similar to the one she'd worn at the Quidditch World Cup, which made Hermione laugh inwardly. She wondered why the woman would drink it if she hated it so much. Maybe she was stressed about explaining herself to Hermione. And well she should be.

"Guys, would you mind if I went over and talked to Mrs. Malfoy? We never got our essays on wand movements back, and I want to see if they were ever graded." She said, surprised by how easily the lie came to her. Harry nodded and Ron rolled his eyes, and they went to sit at a table with Ginny and Dean across the room from Narcissa.

Hermione approached the woman cautiously, and she was about three meters away when Narcissa looked up and noticed her. The woman smiled a little, and Hermione nearly forgot her anger enough to smile back. Narcissa looked good. Really good.

It was almost like her skin was glowing, and her eyes seemed much brighter than usual. It might have been an effect of the light blue silk dress she was wearing. Or maybe it was just something about seeing her outside of school. Hermione suddenly realized that she'd been silently staring at the woman for a rather long time. She shook her head and sat down at the table.

"So." Narcissa said, evidently being unable to think of anything to say. Hermione glanced around and saw that nobody was close enough to overhear them, as they were at a fairly secluded table, but she cast a privacy spell anyway.

"What the fuck did you abandon me for?" Hermione said angrily, surprising both Narcissa and herself with her language and vehemence.

"I thought it was the right thing to do." Narcissa said quietly, looking a bit ashamed, but convinced of the rectitude of her decision.

"How so?" Hermione said, reluctant to let go of her anger even though she knew Narcissa was probably right.

"I didn't want you to be hurt by anything I did. I don't ever want to see anything bad happen to you. And it could have, if we had continued the way we did. Someone could have found out." Narcissa replied. Hermione decided not to prove her point by telling her that Harry knew.

"You could have told me you were leaving." Hermione said.

"I had to do it before I thought about you and lost my nerve, or I wouldn't have been able to leave. If I had chosen to stay, it would have been for my sake, so that I could be close to you. But there will be plenty of time for that later, after you graduate. That is, if you're not too mad at me…" Narcissa had vaguely planned out this little speech, but her delivery was smooth enough that it didn't show.

"I don't want to end it, if that's what you're asking. I want to be with you. That's why I'm mad, you know." Hermione said, her anger gradually fading.

"I only want what's best for you. I love you, okay?" Narcissa said, looking the girl in the eyes. Hermione's mouth dropped open a little, but she recovered quickly.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes. You don't have to say it back, don't worry." Narcissa responded with a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Narcissa, I love you too." Hermione whispered, and realized that she really meant it. She could no longer imagine her life without the woman, or at least, she couldn't imagine such a life being any good. Narcissa smiled brightly at her.

"Well, it's too bad, we won't be able to see each other much until the year ends." She said. Hermione nodded, but then a thought occurred to her.

"Hold on, we don't have to wait; I know a secret passageway to Hogsmeade, I could sneak out and meet you!" She said. Narcissa looked stunned.

"But, what if someone sees you out here?"

"They won't, I can use Harry's invisibility cloak." Hermione said. Narcissa nodded, looking thoughtful, as if she'd just remembered the cloak.

"Well, if you're willing to break the rules, then okay…that's not a rule that's likely to get you in too much trouble even if you do get caught, really."

"I know. So when do you want to see me?"

"Any time, I've got nothing else going on. I'm staying in room 18 at the inn down the street. Just send an owl ahead of time and I'll make sure I'm there." Narcissa told her.

"Okay." Hermione said, weirdly excited by the idea of actually sneaking out of the school to have secret trysts with the woman she loved.

She took her leave of Narcissa when she saw Harry and Ron getting ready to go, and she spent the rest of the day with Ron; Harry had mumbled a silly excuse to leave, even though they both knew where he was really going. Overall, Hermione thought it had been a good day. She was happier than she'd been in a long time.


End file.
